New York's 2010 Fishing Calendar

October 04, 2010

Here are 36 excellent fishing trips to consider while planning your 2010 angling getaways. (February 2010)

By Sheila Grant

Despite true four-season weather, there is no time of year when Empire State anglers can't find some productive water. Cold winters create plenty of thick ice to sink auger bits into. Spring brings stream fishing for trout, and stripers move up the coastline to spawn. The hot summer months are no match for the deep, cold waters in New York's big lakes. When fall rolls around, it's time to hit the rivers for smallmouth bass, muskies and pole-bending pike. Several saltwater species stick around for fall fishing as well, including stripers, cod and tautog.

Because fishing hours in any given year are precious and few, and no angler could hope to hit all the honeyholes in New York in any given year, here's a roundup of best-bet waters to consider when planning your 2010 fishing forays:

JANUARY
Walleyes: Mystic Lake
This Cattaraugus County lake is along Tunungwant Creek, a tributary of the Allegheny River. Mystic Lake gave up a record 16-pound, 9-ounce walleye last January.

Try baiting tip-ups with lively creek chubs.

Check DeLorme's New York Atlas and Gazetteer, Map 41, for area details.

Northern Pike: Quaker Lake
This 268-acre manmade lake is within Allegany State Park. Quaker Lake is open to fishing year 'round, and hardwater anglers traditionally have good luck. The lake's pike population is growing, and fish up to 40 inches have been reported. Quaker is also a put-and-take fishery for trout stocked spring and fall, and offers anglers opportunities to catch largemouth and smallmouth bass and panfish.

FEBRUARY
Tiger Muskellunge: Otisco Lake
This 2,200-acre lake is in Onondaga County near Syracuse and is rumored to be the best in New York for tiger muskies. Many tigers over 15 pounds are taken through the ice each year. A contender for the world ice-fishing record, weighing 27 pounds, 5 ounces, also came from this lake. Use large, live minnows or jigging lures measuring 6 to 10 inches.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 61, for access details.

Landlocked Salmon: Upper Chateaugay Lake
This Clinton County lake is open for the taking of landlocked salmon and trout year 'round. There's a 15-inch minimum length limit, with a daily creel of three salmon. The lake is also home to lake trout, rainbow trout, pike and yellow perch.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 102, for details.

Yellow Perch: Cuba Lake
This 445-acre lake in the Allegany County town of Cuba offers hardwater anglers plenty of warmwater fishery action. In addition to yellow perch, the lake is home to walleyes, pike, brown bullheads and bluegills. Ice-fishing access is at the south end of the dam on South Shore Road.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 42.

MARCH
Rainbow Trout: Mill Brook Reservoir
This 50-acre lake in the Chenango County town of New Berlin is a worthy destination for anglers targeting big trout. Mill Brook is also home to largemouth bass and panfish. The reservoir is open to the taking of trout year 'round. Try fishing tip-ups baited with salmon eggs or small night crawlers.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 63, for area details.

Chain Pickerel: Dryden Lake
This 100-acre lake in the Tompkins County town of Dryden is shallow and weedy, the perfect place for anglers to catch hungry pickerel! Panfish are also abundant here.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 47, for access and area details.

Brown Trout: Case Lake
This 71-acre lake in the Cattaraugus County town of Franklinville is open for the taking of trout year 'round. In addition to hefty brown trout, Case Lake offers hardwater anglers opportunities for brook trout, yellow perch and an assortment of panfish. Yearling and 2-year-old trout are stocked here each spring, and surplus broodstock trout are added most years in the fall.

The access/hand launch site off county Route 24 is plowed in winter. Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 42 for details.

APRIL
Brown Trout: Black River
This Oneida County water is stocked with fat brown trout, brookies and rainbow trout. Fishing is especially good in the stretch of river near Boonville. The Black River is also a good destination for largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleyes.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 85, for details.

Striped Bass: Little Neck Bay
When striper season opens in mid-April, Little Neck Bay is traditionally one of the early-season hotspots that anglers should not overlook. Try casting bucktail jigs and swimming plugs to get the attention of hungry linesides.

Access to this Long Island inlet is off Interstate Route 495.

Check the NYAG, Map 25, for details.

Brook Trout: Caldwell Brook
This brook in the Clinton County town of Ausable offers anglers opportunities for lively spring brookies. The daily limit on trout is five of any species of trout plus five brook trout less than 8 inches long.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 103, for area details.

MAY
Smallmouth Bass: Lake Erie
This Great Lake provides a special opportunity for bass anglers this month. From May 2 to the regular opening day of the statewide black bass season, anglers may keep one bass over 20 inches each day from Erie and its tributaries.

Bronzebacks are most often found in the tributaries and harbors in May. Later this month, fish near reefs and rocky structures in 10 to 20 feet of water.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, maps 39, 40 and 54, for multiple access sites.

Northern Pike: Cross Lake
This 2,176-acre lake in the Onondaga County towns of Elbridge and Lysander is sha

llow, weedy and brimming with large pike. There's a 22-inch minimum length and daily creel of five fish. Cross Lake also offers opportunities for walleyes, tiger muskies and panfish.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 74.

Brook Trout: Moose River
The South Branch Moose River is one of a few waters left where anglers can catch native brookies. The river is also stocked with brook trout. Public land offering access is available along the banks of the South and Middle branches.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 86, for details.

JUNE
Bluefish: Montauk
With Block Island Sound on one side of the peninsula and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, this is an excellent holding zone for ravenous blues.

Bluefish may be taken year 'round with no size limit on the first 10 fish, and a 12-inch minimum length on the next five, for a total daily creel of 15 fish. For fast-hitting action, use fish tins, plugs or live bait, and be sure to use a wire leader -- blues have sharp teeth.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 29, for details.

Carp: Hudson River
These overgrown minnows are fast becoming a popular sport fish in southeastern New York by virtue of their size. Carp average 5 to 10 pounds here, but 15- to 20-pounders are sometimes caught. The state-record carp weighed over 50 pounds!

For access points along the river, check DeLorme's NYAG, maps 36 and 67.

Largemouth Bass: Honk Lake
This 41-acre lake north of Ellenville is a good place to wet a line when the season on black bass opens this month. Honk Lake has an average depth of 6.2 feet, providing excellent habitat for pickerel and panfish, as well.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 35, for details.

JULY
Smallmouth Bass: Chazy Lake
This lake in Dannemora is one of Clinton County's top bronzeback waters. Try crayfish-colored tube jigs or crayfish-patterned shallow-running crankbaits.

There's a hard-surface ramp and parking for 30 cars, 20 with trailers, off Highway 374 about five miles west of the village of Dannemora.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 102, for more information.

Walleyes: Oneida Lake
Since aggressive cormorant management began in 1998, the walleye population in Oneida Lake has nearly doubled, with an estimated adult population of 386,500 fish. Harvest numbers each year top 50,000 walleyes. The lake is also home to largemouth and smallmouth bass and northern pike.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 75, for details.

Chain Pickerel: Peconic River
This Long Island river offers anglers some of the finest pickerel fishing in the entire state. There are multiple access sites, including a hand launch area on South River Road about one-half mile east of Nugent Drive.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 27, for access and area details.

AUGUST
Fluke: Moriches Bay
Most of these bottom-dwelling flatfish weigh between 1 and 3 pounds, but the occasional summer flounder will tip the scales at 20 pounds or more. Fluke fishing is hot through the summer months in all of the south shore bays along Long Island. Fish bottom rigs baited with spearing or squid.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 27, for access and area details.

Lake Trout: Upper Saranac Lake
This Franklin County lake in Harrietstown and Santa Clara is open for the taking of lake trout from April 1 to Oct. 15 with a 23-inch minimum length limit and a daily creel limit of three fish. Upper Saranac is also home to rainbow trout, bass and pike.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 95, for details.

Rainbow Trout: Lake Ontario
New York boasts 326 miles of Lake Ontario shoreline providing record-class rainbows and brown trout, Atlantic salmon and coho salmon. This Great Lake also holds good populations of steelhead, lake trout, walleyes, pike and smallmouth bass.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, maps 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74 and 83, for multiple access points to this productive angler's paradise.

SEPTEMBER
Stripers: Gilgo Beach
The striper action picks up this month for anglers fishing from shore or boat.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 26, for access and area details.

Largemouth Bass: Lake Colby
This Franklin County lake in Harrietstown is open for the taking of bucketmouths from the third Saturday in June through Nov. 30, any size, with a daily creel limit of five fish. Colby also offers anglers opportunities for rainbows and brown trout.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 95, for details.

Rainbow Trout: Oyster Bay Mill Pond

This 20-acre pond in the village of Oyster Bay is one of the few freshwater fishing holes in Nassau County with public access. The pond is stocked spring and fall with rainbow trout and brown trout. The pond is also home to largemouth bass, carp and some good-sized brown bullheads.

Access is via West Shore Road or through Roosevelt Memorial Park. Boating is prohibited.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 25, for area details.

OCTOBER
Smallmouth Bass: Fort Pond
This 181-acre Suffolk County pond in Montauk is known as a dependable fishery for smallmouths, largemouths and walleyes. The habitat is better suited to bronzebacks, which are more plentiful.

When selecting lure colors, remember that the principle forage fish here are silver juvenile white perch and the yellow and olive juvenile yellow perch.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 29, for additional information.

Walleyes: Lake Ronkonkoma
This 243-acre lake is the largest of Long Island's freshwater lakes. In addition to being an excellent destination for walleyes, Lake Ronkonkoma offers anglers opportunities for largemouth and smallmouth bass, pickerel, perch and panfish.

There are multiple public access sites, including a fishing pier in the Suffolk County Park off Shore Road on the northern shore.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 26, for more information.

Tiger Muskellunge: Mohawk River
An often-overlooked tiger muskie treasure is waiting for anglers at the Mohawk River Barge Canal from Rome downstream to Lock 16. This stretch of the Mohawk is also home to largemouth and smallmouth bass and walleyes.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 65, for multiple access points.

NOVEMBER
Tautog: Shinnecock Canal
Shore-fishing for tautog should be productive this month. The season on this popular marine species runs from Oct. 1 through May 31, with a length limit of 14 inches and a daily creel of 10 fish. An average tautog weighs between 1 and 4 pounds, but this species occasionally reaches close to 25 pounds. Try fishing bottom rigs baited with crabs or clams to tempt big blackfish.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 28, for access and area details.

Northern Pike: Chenango River
The Lower Chenango River is one of the better pike waters in the region. The river is also a decent fishery for largemouth and smallmouth bass and walleyes.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 48, for access and area details.

Cod: Napeague Beach
The best saltwater fishing this month is for cod, which may be found in good numbers in the waters off Napeague Beach along the southern tip of Long Island.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 29, for access and area details.

DECEMBER
Crappies: Long Pond
This 114-acre pond in the Chenango County town of Smithville is an excellent destination for fast crappie fishing. Try bright green or yellow jigs.

Long Pond is also a popular spot for pickerel, largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegills.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 83, for details.

Walleyes: Tupper Lake
Besides being a traditional angler destination for walleyes, Tupper Lake is also home to lake trout, pike, whitefish, yellow perch and pickerel. Access is off Route 30 in the hamlet of Moody, two miles south of the village of Tupper Lake.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 95, for details.

Splake: Connery Pond
This pond in the Essex County town of North Elba is open to the taking of trout year 'round with no length restrictions and a five-fish daily bag limit.

In addition to splake, Connery is home to fat brown trout.

Check DeLorme's NYAG, Map 96, for access and area details.